Lovers of wine and trains, this one’s for you. A new long-distance train service has been announced that links up Freiburg in Germany’s Black Forest and the French port city of Bordeaux, thereby providing a direct rail connection between two of Europe’s premier winemaking regions.
The new direct service is run weekly by French national operator SNCF and takes just under eight hours to span the two destinations. While the new route is apparently a response to demand in France for a theme park near Freiburg called Europa-Park, it also provides a handy link between regions responsible for famous wines like pinot noir, pinot grigio, merlot and cabernet sauvignon.
Of course, there’s more to both of these destinations than just wine. Known for its hiking trails and dazzlingly historic towns, the Black Forest is one of Germany’s most spectacular natural landscapes, while Bordeaux is a stunning port city with huge public gardens and nationally-renowned art museums.
The direct train isn’t the only way of going between these two destinations by rail. There are plenty of daily services from Freiburg to Paris, while the Paris-Bordeaux rail route is well-served by trains that are both fast and – if you book far enough in advance – pretty affordable.
SNCF’s new direct Freiburg-Bordeaux service started up on December 17, with one-way tickets starting at €59 (£51, $63). You can find out more and book tickets here.
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